The GEOTEC research group (Spain) participated in the European Researchers’ Night at the Universitat Jaume I, an event that brings research and innovation closer to the general public through interactive activities and demonstrations.

As part of the event, GEOTEC presented the SpaceSUITE project, an European-funded Erasmus+ project that aims to help bridge the skills gap in Europe’s downstream space and geoinformation professional sector on one hand, and its education sector on the other. As part of the project work, GEOTEC is developing a variety of software tools to support practitioners, professionals and education providers in improving skill development in the space downstream sector, along with training resources to address in-demand skills.

During the event, visitors had the opportunity to explore the GeoSpace Body of Knowledge and the different skill intelligence tools developed in SpaceSuite, discovering how the software can be used to explore, navigate and gain knowledge in the space downstream sector, and eventually develop related skills. Next to this, the GEOTEC team demonstrated an innovative learning resource developed in the context of SpaceSuite: a serious game focused on understanding the technologies and challenges of satellite-based positioning and navigation systems. Through interactive gameplay, players become aware of potential problems, such as spoofing and jamming attacks, and how to recognize them.

Hundreds of citizens of all ages, ranging from young children to older adults, visited the university campus. The activity provided an excellent opportunity to inform the public about Europe’s space downstream sector and its opportunities.  In addition, the public was exposed to SpaceSUITE-developed resources in an accessible and hands-on format, while engaging directly with students, families and members of the general public interested in space, technology and research.